Macon Gets Second Airline

The Middle Georgia Regional Airport is getting a second airline. The announcement comes after the U.S. Department of Transportation ended federal subsidies for flights out of Middle Georgia.

For several years the DOT deemed the Macon airport essential and gave a 1.4-million dollar subsidy to the airline Georgia Skies which flies to Atlanta. That subsidy is now over but airline officials say they will continue the route.

Now a second carrier, Vision Airlines, says it will fly two round trips a week from Macon to Destin. Vision’s Clay Meek says they chose Destin based on the number of people from Middle Georgia who vacation there. Macon is one of 19 cities where the airline is expanding.

“We’ve identified midsize cities that have been neglected by the major carriers for years. They’ve been forced to pay high fares and ensure long layovers in cramped regional planes.”

Meeks says flights will start up in March targeting the so-called leisure traveler. Fares will be about 89-dollars each way.